Through the Rift
by The Hutt
Summary: The Final Fantasy II team reunites to investigate a mysterious tear in the sky and end up going on an action-packed, time traveling adventure!
1. Freedom Feels Good

Freedom Feels Good

Firion, Maria, and Guy were enjoying a perfect afternoon in the hills outside Altair. "You know, I'm just so much more grateful of the small pleasures in life now that the empire is gone," said Firion.

"That's what freedom feels like," commented Guy, who immediately fell into his typical silence.

"It's too bad Leon isn't around anymore to spend his freedom somewhere this pleasant…" Maria began.

"Why do we have to bring up that idiot?" snapped Firion. He and Leon had not parted on the best of terms, and he was very touchy about anyone mentioning the Dark Knight.

Maria turned away; she was very unsure of why her friend hated her brother so. "I heard he was in Semmit Falls hunting for mythril. The market is booming for that stuff now that the war is over."

"It's just like him to go blindly into something that stupid!" Firion said, continuing to insult Leon. "He knows those old caverns are filled with goblins!"

"Actually, he doesn't," grunted Guy, Leaning up against a mighty oak and picking his teeth with a long blade of grass. "He wasn't with us in the falls." A leaf dropped from the high boughs and flitted by his face. Guy slapped nonchalantly at it, sending it twirling and fluttering away, borne on a sudden gust of wind.

"That's right!" said Maria suddenly, remembering the dangers of the hidden caves. "Oh no, Firion, Guy, what if he's ambushed in there! He doesn't know the way like we do! We should do something," urged Maria.

"Your brother is a strong warrior, Maria. Leon will be fine," soothed Guy. Maria turned and gave him an appreciative, admiring look.

"Why thank you, Guy. I'm glad _someone _has confidence in him…" With this, she gave Firion a contemptuous glare.

"Anyway, Minwu's magic probably did away with most of the goblins and slimes in those caves. He always was pretty skilled with those _firagas_." Firion said from his perch on a rock overlooking the sea to the east. "It's a real pity he sacrificed himself opening the magically sealed door in Mysidian Tower when we were after the Ultima Tome."

"It's a pity a lot of the other heroes of the Resistance died, but the result is sweet," said Maria with finality. It was apparent the conversation about their former comrades was over.

"Look, a hawk!" Guy said suddenly, pointing up at the heavens.

Everyone gazed skyward to see the aforementioned bird sail above to the west. It swooped down and looped about as it neared the fringes of the forest near the city of Altair. Its graceful movements further reinforced the feeling of happiness in the newfound freedom.

"I used to watch birds of prey before joining the resistance," Maria mused. "It always meant so much to me how they just soared everywhere, doing as they pleased, with no bounds to tie them anywhere…"

"Wait… what's that? In the sky?" exclaimed Firion, pointing to a rippling, shimmering space in the atmosphere just in front of where the hawk was flying. The strange field expanded, and it began to open like a laceration in one's flesh. The void was filled with a shimmering, coursing vortex of countless colors.

"It looks like some kind of… rift in the air?" suggested Guy, dumbstruck. "It's kind of… beautiful…"

"Is it a natural phenomenon of some kind?" asked Maria.

"I don't think so," replied Firion. "Look!" He pointed at the split in the sky. "Something's coming out!" Sure enough, six large black forms descended from the now blood-red expanse beyond the slash.

"This is too weird…" said Maria. "Maybe we should head back to town…"

"Yeah… let's do that…" agreed Firion.

With that, the threesome departed quickly down the large hill toward Altair. Guy kept looking over his shoulder at the sky. The tear seemed to be getting bigger, and he was very wary of what was coming out. A trained fighter, he sensed the imminent danger. Only time would tell what this occurrence signified.

Author's Notes—Thanks for reading! I hope you continue your support as Guy, Firion, and Maria investigate the hole in the sky and go on one huge adventure… Please review!


	2. Interlopers in Altair

Interlopers in Altair

The morning following the observation of the rift opening in the sky, Guy, Maria, and Firion met to see if they could still see the strange occurrence in the air. They stood by the fountain in front of the former rebel base and peered upward. "It's still there," sighed Guy. "Just staring down at us, like it was challenging us to do something…"

"Hm. You have a point there, Guy," Firion mused, "Maybe we should take a look."

"Take a look? What do you mean, Firion?" said Maria, bewildered. "You mean, go up there?"

"Why not?" Firion replied. He looked over the terracotta-tiled roofs of the inn and neighboring shops and into the northwest distance. "After escaping Pandemonium and warping back to Castle Fynn, we went back and got the airship, right?"

"Yeah," answered Maria.

"Well, we landed it on the roof of the castle in case anyone ever needed it, and I think we need it. How about we take a look at that fissure a touch closer, hm?" Firion suggested.

"Cid would like to know his beloved vessel was still flying," Maria commented, considering her friend's plan. "Maybe it's worth a shot."

"Let's wait," Guy advised, "until we find out more about that crack and what came out. Speaking of which, I wonder where those landed?"

"Probably in the forest," said Firion. "Perhaps we should have a look out there."

* * *

Sure enough, the group found themselves wandering amidst the trees west of Altair in the early afternoon. There were several false alarms in which a squirrel or rabbit dashed by. Soon, everyone became slightly on-edge.

After half an hour of searching, something big was spotted creeping through the undergrowth. Firion drew his sword, Guy his battleaxe, and Maria knocked an arrow to her bow. The noise grew louder.

Suddenly, a golden-furred warg wolf burst from the dense foliage. It bounded forward on its long, muscular legs and opened its ferocious fanged maw wide, unleashing an earsplitting howl.

Firion dodged to the side and slashed the oversized wolf across the back as it passed. Guy swiped downward with his axe, but the beast dodged to the side and continued its charge. It leapt at Maria, who had her bowstring drawn to her ear. She let the arrow fly, then quickly dove to the ground. The warg wolf crashed into the ground, skidded a few feet, and fell still. Upon closer inspection, Maria saw with satisfaction that a long, silver arrow protruded from its skull, right between its blood-red eyes.

"Great shot!" said Firion, sheathing his sword as he ran up. Guy gazed around, making sure no other wolves were about.

"Heads up!" the fighter shouted suddenly. Maria and Firion whirled around to see a huge pack of wolves emerge from the trees, baring their dripping fangs angrily. The one nearest Firion reared up, its ears back, and launched itself off a mossy boulder at the startled swordsman's face.

Firion deftly swung his sword out, cleaving the monster's head almost apart from its shoulders. It landed at his feet in a bloody heap. Firion turned just in time to run through a second attacking wolf. "Get into the clearing!" he shouted, and took off for a small open patch in the middle of the throng of trees.

The party of three gathered amongst the stony depression and fought valiantly. Guy made huge sweeping slashes with his axe, killing two or three wargs at once each time he swung the weapon. Maria took out several foes also, knocking another arrow before the previous one even found its mark. Quickly, the numbers of enemies began to diminish.

"We've got them now!" bellowed Guy, chopping the great axe down on the back of a wolf that had been about to pounce on his chest.

Not a moment after this comment, the gigantic green-skinned, golden-furred wolves turned and fled back to their dens. Abruptly, Firion, Guy, and Maria were the only souls in the barren, blood-drenched clearing.

"I've never seen wargs in these forests," said Maria, gathering up a few unbroken arrows delicately from the dirt and inserting them into her exquisite quiver.

"Yeah, there have always only been goblins, hornets, and leg eaters around here, plus maybe the occasional sprinter," said Firion.

"And even sprinters are rare this far south!" added Guy.

"Something is definitely up here…" Maria said ominously. "Let's keep looking for where those _things_ landed."

"I don't think we have to look far…" Guy said suddenly. He pointed with the head of his bloodied battleaxe at a pit over to the right. The party joined him atop a short ledge and looked down into the burned-out hole. "Something _big _was here…"

"AAAIYEEEEE!" came a chorus of terrible screams over to the east.

"What was that?" shouted Firion.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good…" Maria remarked. "We should head back to Altair now!" With that, the group hurried back through the woods.

**Author's Notes—Thank you for continuing to read! Check back shortly for more adventures of the FFII cast! As always, reviews are very welcome!**


	3. Dark Beasts

Dark Beasts

Firion, Maria, and Guy rushed through the main gates of Altair to see chaos unfolding in the streets. Huge, grotesque beings ran to and fro, their violet, almost black, hide obscuring their faces. All that could be seen were large yellow eyes and—occasionally, a red slit of a mouth would open.

"What are these things?" shrieked Maria. She watched in shock as one of the unknown monstrosities dashed past, carrying a pile of stolen spears and maces over one shoulder and a young woman in the other.

"Help me!" the girl cried.

"You heard her!" yelled Firion. "Get these beasts!" With this, he drew his sword once more and slashed at the monster. It bellowed in an unearthly manner, dropping the piles of weapons and his prisoner.

Then, the creature whirled around, its long blue-black dreadlocks flying out behind it. It seemed as if the hair was not made of a different material than the skin, but rather an extension of the monster's head. It scooped up a long, steel, spiked mace.

Growling and spitting, the spectral being swung the mace in a slow arc. Firion kept a good distance between himself and his adversary. "Well, come and get me!" he shouted at it.

Suddenly, an intense, concentrated bolt of lightening flew at the foe's head. It struck it down where it stood, its deep purple body collapsing onto the cobblestones. Firion turned to see Maria standing nearby, holding a small, leather-bound volume in her hands. She snapped it shut, ceasing the flow of smoke emanating from the pages. "He was _mine_!" Firion complained.

"Enough shenanigans," Maria said with finality. She stowed the Thunder Tome in the pouch at her side and prepared her bow to shoot another enemy. "It appears to me that this town is under attack!"

"Wait just a moment!" Guy warned. "We don't know who these strange beings are. They might not be an immanent threat!" This was quite out of character for the hardened fighter.

"You think _that's _not an immanent threat?" Firion shouted, pointing with his blade into an alley, where a massive blackish burgundy creature with the same features as the fallen one was tossing burning timbers into an upstairs window of a house.

Guy rushed over to the beast and tackled it, foregoing his axe. He dragged it to the ground, snatched a ball-n'-chain, and wrapped the foe's hands together. "Let's get this guy someplace and deal with the others!"

"Look out!" Maria called. Guy ducked down just in time to miss an arrow from her bow. It continued to sail past the fountain and stuck in the chest of a monster that was aiming a bow of its own at Guy.

"Thanks!" Guy yelled back to Maria. He got to his feet in time to block an incoming attack from a fiend bearing a longsword. He kicked it square in the chest, sending it reeling. Then, he rammed the haft of his battleaxe into the creature's head, knocking it unconscious.

"What are these things?" Firion growled through clenched teeth as he slew another of the monsters with a swift, accurate stab.

"I don't know, but I think that's the last of them!" Maria replied, regarding the deceased creature.

"These are dark beasts," said a shadowy form from a nearby doorway.

"Excuse me, sir. What did you say?" asked Firion, joining his two friends and walking up to the house.

"These beings are not of our world," the old man continued. He stroked his silvery beard absent mindedly as he spoke, staring off into space. "They arrived upon the full moon, and by the next, the world will be in flames…" he intoned.

"Well, that's optimistic," said Guy sarcastically.

"I have a bad feeling that the rift in the sky might have something to do with these aliens' arrival," Firion remarked.

"What is it with these prophets?" Maria asked. "When something weird is happening, they seem to pop up wherever we go."

"You have a point there," Firion said, looking quizzically at the man, who was now staring at the tear in the sky above the city, his mouth hanging open. "I don't think the lunar cycle has anything to do with this, personally."

"But what should we do?" asked Guy, confused.

"Perhaps a closer look would be a good idea…" pondered Maria.

"Well, it sounds like we're headed for Castle Fynn," announced Firion.


	4. The Airship

**The Airship**

"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen this beauty!" said Guy, walking up to the docked airship. He and his two friends were standing atop the roof of Castle Fynn, overlooking the vast countryside.

"Let's fire her up!" exclaimed Firion, rushing up to the lines that tethered the vessel to the parapet.

"Slow down there!" came a voice from above. Firion looked up to see that a figure was sitting in the crow's nest on the mizzenmast, peering down at him. Shielding his eyes from the intense sunlight, the swordsman gazed up at the mysterious speaker.

"Who goes there?" he shouted.

"Take a guess, my friend!" said the man with delight, hopping deftly off the crow's nest railing onto the nets. He swung onto the other side and scaled down to the deck.

After a moment's pause, Maria cried, "Paul!"

"At your service, m'lady!" called the thief, sliding down the lines gracefully and alighting on the stone roof in a heroic stance. "I see you lot are still adventuring together!"

"What are you doing here, Paul?" asked Firion, genuinely curious.

"I was just taking a snooze up in yonder crow's nest when I got word that there was a threesome on their way up here to steal my bed right out from under me!" he explained, sounding quite hurt. "Is there any concept of decency anymore? Really!"

"We were just about to inspect that big purple thing up there," said Guy, pointing at the sky. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

"No, can't say I do… but tell you what. I'll join you. I sort of got left out of the last adventure and all."

"That's because you were a prisoner of the emperor's," Firion pointed out.

"A minor detail!" said Paul dismissively. He drew a ridiculously long dagger from his belt and severed one of the mooring lines. "Well, are you coming or what?" he called, scampering back aboard the airship.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the four friends were sailing amidst the clouds. Far below, the world looked quite odd, like shapes of green, brown, and gray painted on a background of deep blue. They flew swiftly away from Fynn and out over the sea. Below, they could see dolphins leaping merrily in the gentle waves.

"Whoa!" called Guy from the bow.

"What is it?" shouted Firion, racing up to join the lookout.

"Nothing," mumbled Guy. "It's just that… the rift looks so much _bigger _up close!"

"Actually, that's a good thing," said Maria. The two looked back to see her standing with Paul on the balcony protruding from the fore cabin. "The bigger it is, the easier it will be to fit our ship through."

"Does it appear to be getting bigger to you?" asked Paul, gazing into the swirling depths of the tear.

"It's probably just your imagination," Maria replied.

"I hope this task doesn't get too hard…" said Guy.

Everyone turned to look at him. "That was a bit of overkill, my friend," commented Firion.

"All crude jokes aside," said Maria, "this is serious business! We don't know what's in there!" She returned her stare to the vast purple entity that was fast approaching. Now the airship was mere meters from the opening.

"Here goes!" exclaimed Firion, and their vessel was swallowed in the violet rip in the sky…

* * *

"Ouch!" groaned Firion, rubbing his head. Slowly, his vision returned. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. "Hello? Guy? Maria? Paul? Hey!"

"Over here!" came Paul's voice. Firion got to his feet and walked over to where he believed the thief to be. "Firion!" Paul called out again. The swordsman looked down and spotted the imperiled ally under the broken railing of the balcony.

"Paul, are you all right!" Firion asked, feverishly shoving aside the debris.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Paul replied through fits of coughing. "I guess we stopped pretty abruptly. Maria and I flew right over the edge onto the deck! I think some of the rigging came down too, along with some chunks of the masts."

"Where's Maria?"

"Right here!" came her voice. Paul rolled over to one side, knocking aside the rest of the rubble and revealing that he had caught her as he fell and shielded her from the falling wreckage. They lay for a moment, panting, the thief's arm still about Maria's waist.

"You can let go now," she said kindly. "I think the crash is over."

"Huh? Oh!" Paul slid his arm out from under her and got to his feet. Then, he extended a hand, which the archer accepted, and he pulled her up.

"Why thank you, Paul."

"Aw, it was nothing."

"Okay…" Firion said loudly, turning away from the two. "Has anyone seen Guy?" Both shook their heads.

"Down here!" came a distant call. Everyone rushed over to the railing and peered down. To their unanimous surprise, the fourth member of the party was dangling by one hand from the winged masthead. "Help."

After they had rescued Guy, the group gathered at the bow to discuss what to do next. They appeared to be facing back toward Fynn, as if they had been turned around and spat back out before colliding with the ground. However, something wasn't right. The sky was a dull gray, and everything—the dead grass, the rocks, and even the sparse trees, were covered in what appeared to be dust or ash.

"This is thoroughly unsettling," commented Firion.

"Well, we won't learn anything about this strange world hanging around here, will we?" said Paul, enthusiastically getting up off the barrel he had been using as a chair. He walked over to the starboard gangplank and sent it down to the ground. "After you, m'lady," he said to Maria, who, in parody, daintily stepped past him and down to the strange gray surface of the beach.

**AN—Well, isn't this quite curious, hm? Thank you for reading, and please, please take the time to write reviews. They are greatly appreciated. Check back soon for the continuation of Firion, Guy, Maria, and Paul's adventure.**


	5. Ambush!

**Ambush!**

"So, where do you think we are?" asked Maria.

"Far from home," grunted Guy.

"I don't think so, Guy," said Firion. "Look at this road. It looks really familiar."

"You're right!" Maria gasped. "It's just like the one between Altair and Gatrea! And that river back there—didn't it look like the one in the Gatrea Marsh?"

"Yeah… and we _are _heading inland…" pondered Firion. The foursome continued along the path into a burned-out forest. Once again, they came upon the familiar stream and had to cross a short stone bridge.

"These trees are all blackened," observed Maria. "I wonder what happened here."

Suddenly, the path started curving, and the party emerged into a marsh. They walked down a steep hill into a large, oblong island situated in the middle of the swamp creek. The damp moss that coatesd most of the ground squished noisily underfoot, and there were sporadic patches of mushrooms clustered all over. "What was that?" said Firion suddenly, abruptly stopping.

The others gathered around and became very quiet. "I don't hear anything," said Paul.

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRTT!_

"Wait! What's that?" whispered Maria, listening intently.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a bowstring being drawn…" replied Firion.

_TWANG!_

A slender black arrow shot out from the thicket of dead trees and sank into the loam at Maria's feet. "Get cover!" shouted Firion, diving behind a thick, hollow log. Immediately, the woody tube was riddled with arrows.

"Goblins!" cried Guy as six of the dark-green-skinned fiends leapt down and ran around the bog, brandishing spears and scimitars. They wore light, incomplete armor, only two having leather helms. They howled and shrieked their austere war cries as they charged the group of humans.

Maria slipped behind a tree and knocked an arrow to her bow. Guy decided to forego shelter and held his ground. When a goblin raider raced by after Paul, he swiped out with his battleaxe, catching his knees with the lethal blade and flipping him onto the ground, screeching in agony. The last party member fled up the other bank of the bog into a tangle of ferns and willows.

"A great help he is," commented Firion. Just then, a pair of goblins dashed across the island of moss and mud. They advanced quickly on the log where he was hiding, prepared to stab through the fallen tree with their barb-tipped pikes. Firion leapt to his feet and swung his sword in a wide arc, severing the head of one and cleaving the other's left arm.

The goblin, with the incredible will characteristic of its warrior race, continued its assault. It jabbed the spear at Firion's face. The swordsman ducked this attack and jumped outward, tackling the goblin. As they both fell to the wet ground, he delivered a potent uppercut, lodging his blade in the foe's chin.

Meanwhile, Maria was struggling to keep the advancing army at bay. In order to lessen Guy's burden of manning the front line, she constantly had to fire at the opposite side of the bog. Suddenly, three goblins broke free and stormed right at her. She fired one arrow, downing the lead one. The next one went down quickly. She scrambled for the last arrow in her quiver, but she didn't have enough time. The third one, which wore a black full helmet, was racing toward her with a mighty broadsword.

All of a sudden, Paul soared out of the trees and landed in front of the goblin. He swung his long knife a couple of times deftly, and then plunged it into the enemy's stomach. He fell forward, uttering a gurgling cry. Paul withdrew his bloodied weapon and finished off his foe by stabbing him in his upper back. The armored warrior dropped to his knees, clutching his wounded gut then promptly fell face-first in the murky water of the fjord.

"Thank you very much, Paul," said Maria gratefully.

"No need for thanks; I make it a point to assist all beautiful ladies in peril!" Paul replied, standing heroically by his victim. He spun suddenly as another goblin charged at him. He ducked under the enemy's spear and stabbed him forcefully. The foe flipped right over the thief, landing with a _squish_ in the mud.

The remaining goblins on the broad island scrambled, fleeing up the hill into the woods from whence they came. "We've got them on the run!" shouted Firion, dashing out from his cover and waving his sword in the air triumphantly.

"Wait! What's that sound?" called Maria from the opposite end of the semisolid platform. Sure enough, a loud crashing could be heard from the depths of the forest. Suddenly, the trees parted to reveal an earth troll. It had broken shackles on its wrists and ankles, making it apparent that the goblins had been holding it captive until it escaped.

"Where did they get _that_?" Maria cried. "There aren't any trolls in this area!"

"They must have brought it from Semmitt Falls—or even Kashuan Keep across the great bay!" exclaimed Firion.

Guy leapt aside, dodging a mighty fist from the troll. He rolled across the soft, damp ground. Getting to his feet, he raced up behind the giant being and swung his axe over his head. It struck the thick hide of the creature's back, leaving a good-sized gash, but if the blow had been dealt to a foe like a goblin, it would have been fatal.

In response, the troll whirled around, snatched Guy in its massive hand, and flung him across the island and into the quagmire with a great splash.

Maria, panicking, cried, "I'm out of arrows!"

"Do not fear, m'lady! I will protect you!" called Paul, retreating up the hill and taking a fighting stance before the archer. Her reply was to give a small, intrigued smile, which of course the thief did not catch as he had his back to her.

However, the troll did not seem to notice the two on the hill. Instead, it concentrated its attacks on Guy and Firion. The latter darted about its wide burnt sienna-colored feet, slashing at its ankles. Furious, the giant stomped at its puny attacker.

Guy slowly returned to the fray, but he was in a lot of pain. He guessed that at least two of his ribs were fractured. However, he managed to approach cautiously and shoulder his grand axe. He waited until Firion got into position right in front of the troll. He was about to get the back of one leg when something unexpected happened; instead of swiping downward as was its usual strategy, the creature swung its great fist horizontally and low to the ground, striking Firion quite hard and knocking him a few meters to the right. His sword skittered away, out of reach.

Guy hesitated, his plan crumbling to pieces. The troll kicked out, knocking him to the ground again. He cried out, his broken ribs jabbing against something inside his chest and causing him intense, agonizing pain.

"_YAAAAAH!_" bellowed Maria. Firion and Guy looked up to see that she had climbed to a rock jutting out over the marsh. She stood with her feet apart and one hand extended, her forefinger and middle finger pointing toward the earth troll. With the other, she made a series of complex, ancient gestures. Realizing what she was doing, the two fighters rolled out of the way.

Maria's fingertips were gradually illuminated with a bright, white light. Suddenly, the _Blaze _was finished, and a great white-hot projectile flew down at the target. It struck the troll's chest, and instantly a massive explosion of multicolored sparks engulfed the area, creating a massive inferno. As abruptly as the blast had begun, the _Blaze _consumed itself and burnt out. The troll wobbled for a moment, and promptly fell forward onto the ground.

A singed duo emerged from the muck surrounding the island and stepped around the charred section of marsh. They eyed the troll's flayed carcass warily as they passed. Then, they retrieved their weapons and walked over to meet their savior.

"That was brilliant!" exclaimed Paul, rushing up to the overhang to where Maria was looking down at her handiwork.

"Thanks, Paul," she replied. "You were great too." As he climbed downhill, sheathing his dagger as he went, Maria watched him contemplatively...

**AN—Thank you very much for reading! Please submit reviews, and be on the lookout for new chapters!**


	6. Out of Time

**I would just like to explain my reasoning for including Paul as such an important character in this story. At the end of Final Fantasy II, he says to Firion and co. "Who am I supposed to steal from with the empire gone? You put me out of a job!" When I thought about this character, who was rescued in Semmit Falls when General Borghen enslaved him, Nelly, and a group of other miners, I began thinking about how great it would have been had he participated as a party member. His thieving skills would have made him a great addition, but I guess another kleptomaniac took his place (Captain Leila). Thanks for actually taking the time to read this paragraph.**

* * *

**_Out of Time_**

"Hey! Town up ahead!" announced Guy.

The group of four emerged from the trees into a small town square. There was a picket fence before them, and a stream crossed throughout the four sections of the town. Five bridges were used by the sparse population to get around.

The buildings immediately in front of the party were an ivy-covered inn and a small redbrick items shop. To the northeast, Firion spotted a well and a weapons shop. "Wait a minute!" said Maria. "This is Gatrea!"

Looking across the steam to an armor shop and a sanctuary situated beside a small, oddly shaped pond. "You're right!" he exclaimed, recognizing this forest town. "But… something's not right…" he added, his face falling.

Indeed, Firion was correct. The passerby's faces were crestfallen and sleep-deprived. They shuffled along in drab clothing, their arms laden with buckets of water or just-purchased miscellany. The bricks of the buildings were graying and dirty. The surrounding forest, while not burnt, was severely lacking in its former glory and bright green color. Instead, the trees stood limply, tinged a sickly olive hue.

"What happened here?" asked Maria, just noticing that the roof of the weapons shop across the stone bridge was caved in. Several areas of the masonry had also crumbled and spilled out onto the overgrown lawn around the store.

"Excuse me, sir, what happened here?" Firion asked a hunched man carrying a huge sack of dried beans.

"What?" mumbled the man, staring up at the traveler as if he had asked him if the sky was blue. Actually, that would be false in this case, as there seemed to be a perpetual overcast ever since the team had flown through the rift.

"I'm sorry, but we've come a long way, and we are in desperate need of assistance. We were just wondering what caused this apparent devastation."

"Humph," the townsman grunted. "Then I'd suggest going back to where you came from before the Aleens discover you here."

"Aleens?" said Firion, raising a white-blond eyebrow. He was onto something important. "Excuse my ignorance, but what is this… Aleen?"

The stranger began to plod off again, his dusty cape blowing in the gentle breeze. "They're a terrible lot. They conquered our continent a long time ago, and we've been living under the ghastly thing's rule ever since!"

"Oh, sir, one more thing!" Firion called to the ambling fellow. "What's this town's name?"

The man called without looking back, "Gatrea."

"Well, that explains it. We didn't go anywhere!" said Maria dejectedly. "We must have missed something big while we were messing around with that hole in the sky."

"It's going to be all right. We'll figure out what to do," said Paul, putting a comforting arm about her shoulder.

Turning away from the thief's display, Firion said, "Perhaps we should try the inn. We can get medical help and figure out what to do in the morning."

"Agreed," said the others in unison.

"My, aren't you a dirty lot," commented the woman at the counter. She peered down at the apparent leader's tattered and mud-splattered red cape.

"We had an unfortunate run-in with some goblins and their earth troll back in the marsh," Firion explained. He extracted his wallet from his belt and asked, "How much for one night?"

"Hm… let's see… four of you… that'd be… 75 gil."

Shocked at the low price, Firion almost dropped his wallet. He hadn't expected such an inexpensive stay. "Did I hear you correctly?" he asked. "Seventy-five?"

The woman nodded dramatically. Seeing that the youth was surprised, she said, "I know it's a lot, but with the Aleens taking so much of the food for themselves… well, I'm sure you'll understand."

"Oh… of course," replied Firion shakily. He pulled the cords on his wallet so that it was secure and returned it to his belt. It held 4925 gil now, which was now clearly more than enough to stock up on supplies in this destroyed version of Gatrea.

In the morning, the party ate a meager breakfast at the inn before setting out about town to buy supplies. Maria purchased thirty arrows, Guy a new bronze helm, as his higher quality mythril one had been swallowed in the muck when the earth troll threw him, Firion searched for a shield, for he had neglected to bring one with him from Altair, but all they had at the rundown armor shop was a simple buckler. Paul, who had no armor prior, purchased bronze grieves and bracers. He added a round leather shield as an afterthought, strapping it to his back in a manner he believed to be quite fashionable. Firion swung by the items shop and stocked up on potions, ethers, antidotes, and a gold needle. Finally, they were ready to continue their adventure.

Later, they met at the inn for lunch. They sat in the front area, where they saw that the only other guest there was a man with black hair and dark armor. His black, mud-stained cape draped over the back of the plain wooden chair. He had a thick beard that was trimmed so as not to hang more than a centimeter or so past his chin. He was eating a bowl of watery soup very slowly, as if deep in thought.

"Who do you think that fellow is?" whispered Maria.

"I don't know," replied Firion. "He looks like a warrior, though," he remarked. "Look at that longsword at his side."

"Well, if you're going to talk about me, you might as well—" began the man, getting up and turning around, but suddenly, he stopped. "No… it can't be… Maria? Guy? Firion? And…" he looked to Paul. "Who are you?"

"I'm Paul."

"Oh. Okay…" replied the stranger.

"Excuse me, have we met?" asked Firion.

However, Maria recognized the man instantly, despite his drastically different appearance. "Leon!" she cried, jumping up to hug her brother.

"I thought you died when the Aleens invaded all those years ago!"

"Huh?" said Maria.

"Wait a minute… no… it can't be… you don't look any older…" Leon said, thinking quickly. "You didn't happen to go through the Time Rift, did you?"

"Well, the sky seemed to split open, and there was this purple tunnel inside, so we…" Maria began, but her brother suddenly hugged her even tighter.

"We're saved! I never thought such an opportunity would arise!" the knight shouted joyously.

"Keep your voice down, Leon!" said the inn's manager. "They might hear you!" she added, peeping out the window hastily.

"Ah, it is a truly wondrous day," sighed Leon, pulling up another chair to the foursome's table. He seemed oddly cheerful now, unlike his former dark, brooding self. This unnerved Firion greatly.

"It's good to see you again, Leon," said the swordsman.

"You're lying," Leon replied flatly. "You and I did not leave on the best of terms. You aren't pleased to see me, so don't bother wasting your praise on me." _This _was the old Leon coming out.

"Wait… so, are we in the future?" asked Maria.

"The Aleens were here before they were in the past," explained Leon. He leaned forward and steepled his fingers thoughtfully. "That was some time ago. They realized that they couldn't take us over in the future, when we were so powerful. So, their magicians created a rift in the sky with which to travel back to the past. The people then were not as united as they would have eventually been had their future played out normally, and the extraterrestrials went on a rampage."

"Wait!" interjected Paul. "Did you say extraterrestrials?"

"Yes, I did. We believe the creatures came from another world, far away from here, um… Peter, was it?"

"Uh… Paul."

"Oh yes. Anyway, the Aleens sent a few sentries through, which were quickly dispatched by a group of heroes…" Leon paused and looked at the group disappointedly. "You wouldn't happen to know about this, would you?"

"Those heroes were us," mumbled Guy, speaking for the first time since they arrived back at the inn.

"Bad move. The Aleens realized that they couldn't just attack us with a few soldiers, so they brought their massive transport through the rift: a floating castle."

"So…" pondered Firion. "If we were to destroy this castle… we'd eliminate the problem of the Aleens?"

"Yes, but only once back in the past," said Leon.

"But won't that leave the future unaffected?" asked Maria.

"I'm not sure. It would make sense that since our future is your past, it would make it so the Aleens never took over and we'd be restored to our former glory…"

"Then it's worth a shot," confirmed Firion. "We need to return to our time and bring down the levitating fortress."

* * *

**AN— Well, I hope your questions about the strange apparition in the sky are now answered. If there's anything I left unanswered, please ask me about it so I can include it in the following chapters. Once again, I thank you for reading, and I ask that you please review.**


	7. Returning to the Coast

**Phew, sorry, I got carried away with this chapter and made it quite lengthy! Oh well, I hope it can at least it satisfy your appetites for drama, action, and intrigue all in one long section. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Returning to the Coast_

The five friends made their way through a once well-kempt forest path to the grand lake surrounding Fynn. Guy and the older version of Leon carried a pair of birch bark canoes on their backs, portaging it to the water's edge. "This should make your return journey a little easier," said Leon, setting down his boat.

"Great, thanks," said Firion, piling in the bags of supplies and armor not currently being worn.

"Are you sure they'll hold all this gear?" asked Maria.

"These are excellent vessels, sis. They were made by the same man who did Minwu's," Leon assured her.

"Hey, by the way," said Firion, wiping his hands as he walked away from the canoe. "How did you manage to escape the Aleen takeover?"

"I was in Semmit Falls hunting for mythril," explained Leon.

Remembering the conversation atop the hill four days prior, Firion realized just how little time they had to rescue their homeland. If Leon had still been in the caves during the brunt of the invasion, then it was sure to happen very soon unless the flying castle could be demolished.

"Hey, you know, Leon…" Firion began awkwardly.

"Yes, Firion?" said Leon, obviously already knowing what was coming.

"I'm just… really sorry about all that animosity I had toward you at the end of our last quest. I didn't really trust you; even though it wasn't your fault."

"The emperor tricked me, Firion. But what did I do when I escaped his enchantment?"

"You helped us thwart him," mumbled Firion.

"Why are you so reluctant to acknowledge that?" Leon asked. Despite the wording of the question, he did not sound angry. In fact, he seemed confused and a little bit hurt.

"I'm not reluctant," said Firion suddenly. "I do want to forgive you. I just don't feel that there is any way I can make it up to you," he added, hanging his head.

Leon smiled. "You just did."

A few minutes later, Leon saw off the party. However, he first slipped a sheathed blade into Firion's hands. "This was the result of my search through the caverns at Semmit Falls all those years ago. I want you to have it. It's the purest mythril, stronger than diamond." He looked down at the weapon at Firion's side. "I see you have neglected to pack Masamune. This sword should serve you quite a bit better than _that _piece of junk you are carrying."

Firion drew the blade partway out of its black sheath. The mythril had been crafted so it was not green, like the type one might purchase in a weapons shop. Instead, it appeared white, reflecting all images without distortion or significant discoloration. "Wow, that's bright," said Firion, sheathing it once more. He held out a hand, which Leon took and shook. "Thank you very much. I won't let the Aleens take over our world… now or in the past."

"Good, good. Well, I suppose you won't be needing _this_," Leon said, receiving the steel broadsword Firion had previously been carrying.

"Ooh! Ooh! I'll take it!" cried Paul, rushing up. Suddenly, he stopped and composed himself. "That is, unless you would prefer to keep it."

"No, that's all right, Philip. You take it," said Leon, handing over the weapon.

"Uh… Paul," murmured the thief, accepting the gift. "Thank you very much."

With that, the crew turned back to the boats and began pushing them into the water. "Good luck!" called Leon.

"Bye!" came a disjointed tangle of farewells from the party as the canoes hit the river and floated gently.

Firion headed over toward where Maria was setting her bow and quiver into the bottom of one boat. "I'll ride with Paul," she said, a little to quickly. However, Firion didn't give any sign that he had deduced anything and waded over to get in the canoe with Guy.

The two boats slid silently out into the river and glided along swiftly. Their passengers watched the reeds and lily pads as they went along. The countryside was quite beautiful on the outskirts of the marsh, but the dark sky put a damper on the cheerful atmosphere.

A little ways into the trip, stirring was spotted in the water. "What's that?" asked Maria.

"Fish, probably," replied Paul, looking over the side of the canoe at the ripples.

"Hey, I think I see one!" cried Firion, leaning over also. "Wait… whoa!" he suddenly shouted, falling backwards. "That's not a fish!"

Instantaneously, two bulbous eyes and a huge, tooth-filled maw emerged from the river. It was a white crocodile, with long, unnatural quills down its back. The reptile snapped its jaws at Guy, who had peered over the edge of the canoe. He shot back into the boat and grabbed his axe.

Another crocodile burst out of the water beside Paul and Maria's vessel. It was sent skidding on its side into the bank, where it ground to a halt on the partially submerged rocks. The monstrous inhabitant of the river was joined by two of its fellows, which advanced menacingly on the pair that was clamoring out of their grounded boat. Paul stepped in front of Maria protectively, drawing his newly acquired sword and holding it out in front of him.

In the other boat, Firion reached out and caught the exposed root of a large tree. This caused the canoe to spin in a semicircle and beach in the shallows. He and Guy hopped out and fought against their attacker toward the vessel farther upriver.

Suddenly, the ever-growing hordes of crocodiles shrank away, but they still eyed their prey hungrily. "Well, well, well…" came a voice from the tall grass. A strange being in a red robe emerged from the vegetation and, brushing aside a large cattail from his face, stood before the surrounded group of travelers. He had blue skin and little leathery fans on the sides of his head, and his mouth was very fishlike.

"Ah, my loyal sssubjects have ensssnared a band of the unwary," hissed the creature from the opposite bank.

"Who are you?" shouted Firion, holding up his buckler as a crocodile drew too near.

"I am the Lord of the River Clan," replied the stranger, bowing deeply. "I must say, I've never seen you folks around before."

"And I've never heard of a River Clan before!" retorted Paul, keeping an overzealous reptile at bay with his blade.

"Ah, the Beassst Clanssss all received land and power after the Aleensss removed the humansss. They believed that man had missstreated ussss and we were the rightful ownersss of the world."

"Humph," Guy grunted.

"So what will you do with us?" Firion shouted across the river.

"My sssubjectsss are hungry, and you appear ssso tasssty to them…" said the lord ominously. The crocodiles took this as a cue to attack, and they quickly leapt at the four people on the riverbank.

"Get back!" snarled Paul, stabbing ferociously at the two mutant crocodiles that had assailed Maria and him.

Maria drew her bow and fired two arrows in quick succession. The first bounced harmlessly off the foe's back; the second lodged between two back spikes. The archer swore and leaped back, seeing that her arrows were doing little, if any, damage.

Down the river a little bit, Firion and Guy were battling intensely. Wave after wave of the white beasts emerged from the water. They were being overwhelmed. "Wave after wave of the white beasts emerged from the water. They were being overwhelmed. "Yah!" grunted Firion, his arm sliced by the long, hooked claws of a crocodile. Guy whirled around and sliced off the monster's head with his great battleaxe.

"Thanks," said Firion, returning to face the onslaught.

"Don't mention it," replied Guy, winding up for another mighty swing.

"Hey, cover me from those crocs," said Maria to Paul, "I'm going to take out their leader." The thief nodded, pulling the canoe in front of Maria and him. She stepped forward, took quick aim, and fired a sleek arrow across the river. It flew straight and true, right at the fish-man's head. However, a sea serpent suddenly soared up out of the water, taking the hit for its master. The projectile pierced the snake's underbelly, and it fell back down into the water in a writhing heap.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" cried Maria, jumping back behind the canoe.

Meanwhile, Firion and Guy broke free from their assailants. They charged up along the ridge thronged with reeds toward the other two members of their party. "Maria! Cast something, quick!"

Once again, the group's best spellcaster was needed to save them from an overpowering attack. "All right, _fine_!" she grumbled, holding out her hand. As Paul hacked down the crocodiles around her, she made a quick series of gestures, and suddenly a large bolt of lightening hit the water. It spread out across the river, killing all of the enemies in the water. Realizing another good use for a clever cast, she used _Blizzard_. Biting winds swept out from the marsh. Adding a couple more hand motions, she concentrated the chilling blasts into the river. After a few seconds, the water was perfectly frozen.

"Charge!" shouted Firion, leading Paul and Guy across the ice toward the River Clan Lord. "Yeaaaaaarg!" he cried, raising his sword overhead, prepared to strike.

Maria, the wisest and most observant member of the party, noticed something peculiar right away; the robed creature did not seem the least bit alarmed that the three men were about to run him through. In fact, he did not move at all, instead just staring straight ahead.

Cursing her friends' foolishness, Maria did the only thing she could think of; she hurriedly cast _Protect_. Three silver prisms flew out over the frozen river, expanded, and enveloped the charging trio.

It was a good thing, too, for two violet-colored, tentacled, conical neochus burst from the tall grass. They slapped at the threesome with their thick, spiked tentacles. The strikes did no damage though; instead, they glanced off the shimmering barriers around each warrior.

Realizing what had happened, Firion resumed his attack, this time at the nearest neochu. It snapped at him with its large triangular mouth, but he stabbed it in the head with his pure mythril blade. Blue-green blood spurted from the wound, but the maw continued chomping viciously. The neochu leapt at the swordsman, buffeted his protective column, and shattered it in a thousand silvery fragments.

"Got him!" called Guy, chopping at the purple fiend. His battleaxe lodged in the side of the beast's head, finishing it off.

"Good job," said Firion, rolling past the other neochu, who had fallen to a blow from Paul's blade. "I've got the River Lord!" he announced, leaping at the fleeing leader, who suddenly turned and drew a heavy, serrated dagger. He soared toward the foe, brought down his weapon, and plunged it into the creature's chest. He dropped to the ground promptly.

Whirling around, Firion saw the other neochu was back. It rushed at him, waving its tentacles and screeching insanely. Before it could reach him, though, Paul's sword impaled the back of its huge, toothy mouth, and Guy's axe chopped off its green-plated base. It bellowed savagely and collapsed.

"That went surprisingly well," said Paul, going back over the thawing river quickly. "Thanks to Maria's quick thinking and great spellcasting!" he added when she was in earshot.

"Come on, guys! I can't hold the _Blizzard _up much longer!" called Maria, holding out both hands, wreathed in a pale blue aura. One could tell that she was struggling to maintain the magic.

"Coming!" shouted Firion, jumping off the ice. He was not a moment too soon, for Maria suddenly fainted from the exertion of casting so many spells in such a quick span of time. She fell back, but Paul dashed forward and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Hey, get some ether!" yelled Firion, running up to the two.

Guy rushed over to the canoes and drew out a small package of the potent magic-replenishing item. He returned to Maria and quickly treated her with it. Her eyes fluttered open and life returned to her limp form. She looked up and saw Paul, his face crossed with concern. "Thanks for catching me," she said with a very sincere smile. Relieved, Paul responded with a huge beam.

"Great job," the thief said, helping Maria back to her feet.

"Let's get back on the river," she said, dusting her dark violet tunic off. She walked over to the canoes, but realized that they had been torn to shreds by the white crocodiles. "Uh-oh…"

"I guess we'll have to start walking," said Firion, pulling out his map from one of the wrecked boats. He consulted it with Guy for a moment, and then said, "There's a prairie just south of here. We should hurry there before it gets dark."

"Are you all right for traveling," asked Paul, genuinely worried.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," answered Maria, heading off toward the woods. "But thanks for the concern," she added, looking back. After Firion and Guy turned to the canoes to grab the packs, she gave a quick wink.

* * *

**AN—Phew! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm still not sure the extent the Maria/Paul romance will go to, but I do know there will be plenty more action and crazy characters to come. Also, I'd like to comment that in Final Fantasy II, you are safe from any monsters when in the canoe, but my excuse for including FF I enemies to this chapter is that since the Aleens took over, there is no such thing as safety.**

**Anyway, keep reading, and please review!**


	8. Back Through the Rift

**Here comes another chapter! I appreciate the input I've received, and I want to thank you for continuing to read my work!**

* * *

**Back Through the Rift**

The party made good time through the forest that evening and arrived in the plains for a quick meal. Then, they built a large fire and sat for a while. "I've been looking through the Bestiary, and there isn't any mention of those weird crocodiles, the purple tentacle-bearing guys, or their leader."

"I think that last one was a sahagin," said Maria, swatting a moth away from her face.

"A sagawhatzit?" said Firion, confused.

"A _sahagin_," corrected Maria. "It's an ancient race. The scholars in Fynn did some research on them, but they couldn't glean much. They were thought to be extinct, but I guess they've been hiding in seclusion all this time, waiting for their lucky break..."

"And now they have power," finished Firion. "That's just great," he said sarcastically, stowing away the compact brown volume in his rucksack.

"They struggled so much," said Guy, always a man of few words.

"I know, Guy," said Maria. "All of the monsters did."

"Are you saying we shouldn't fight those barbarians and demons trying to invade our walls day and night, waylaying our traders on long-established country roads?" Firion asked quite loudly and angrily.

"I was merely suggesting that we might misunderstand them sometimes," said Maria. "I don't mean the goblin raiders or the sea dragons, but maybe some of the more obscure ones in desolate places where man rarely ventures."

"That's a very mature and intellectual way to look at it," said Paul, shifting the way he was sitting and leaning against the log by the campfire so as to furtively position himself closer to the archer/spellcaster extraordinaire.

"Why thank you, Paul," said Maria, smiling up at him.

Firion was about to comment on this, but again he held his tongue. Attraction for Maria had once crossed his mind, but that was brief and flitting, and before they became part of the Rebellion. He supposed the thief deserved a little fun, so long as he didn't get in the way of their mission. After all, Paul did give his collection of the best things he had stolen from the Empire to the party—which at the time consisted of Firion, Guy, Maria, and Ricard. Come to think of it, it was Paul who arranged for the party to have the airship after Cid's passing. Firion recalled the heroism of how he led out the slaves in Semmit Falls, allowing the three friends he sat with now, along with the royal mage Minwu, to continue on and defeat the Sergeant. Then, there was how he knocked out a guard under the Palamecia Coliseum when the trio plus Gordon had failed to assassinate the Emperor. In fact, Paul had been a great help to the Rebellion. Firion decided that that self-proclaimed "greatest thief in all the world" was deserving of a little romance now and again.

Speaking of which, later on, Paul found Maria alone by the fire. "Hey," he said softly, so as not to startle her.

"Oh, hi, Paul."

"I've been meaning to give you something," he said, drawing a small, shiny object from his pocket. He held it out, and Maria took it from him. "It' s a Protect Ring!" he announced. "I bought it at the armor shop in Gatrea yesterday."

"Oh… oh, my… Paul, this is… this is…" she stammered, slipping the enchanted jewelry on her finger. "Paul, I don't know what to say…" Suddenly, she paused and looked up at him. She was surprised by how close they were standing to each other, but not unpleasantly so. "You know, I never realized this the last adventure, but I really admire your courage and will." The two embraced, but to Paul's discouragement, Mari parted with him abruptly and walked off to her tent without looking back. He shrugged and left the dwindling flames also. He knew he couldn't rush anything, especially due to the stressful state of their current mission.

The following morning, the foursome packed up their supplies and set off again for the coast, making sure to stick by the river. They did not encounter any enemies, for their Clan's leader had been killed.

Finally, the group spotted the giant tear in the sky. "Well, here it is," sighed Firion. Half an hour alter, they were climbing aboard the airship and preparing for takeoff. Twenty minutes from then, they were sailing amidst the clouds, approaching the great rift.

Suddenly, the ship rocked violently. "Grab onto something!" shouted Firion, but his cry was drowned out by the din of the vessel being torn from one dimension into another. Then, everything went black.

* * *

"Whoa…" groaned Guy. He shrugged off some fallen timber and was delighted to find that he had not fallen over the rail this time. He waded through the mess on deck and came upon Paul and Maria. The former was holding up a rather large beam that had fallen from the masts.

"Get out of there!" grunted the thief. Maria struggled to rise, but there was a deep gash in her left leg where a strut had fallen on her. "Urgh!" Paul groaned, straining under the weight of the thick facet.

"Aaaargh!" shrieked Maria as she tried to move out from under the massive piece of wood. "I can't!" she gasped.

Guy knew exactly what to do. He dashed toward the two and tackled the beam. It fell to the side, missing Paul and Maria. Guy let go and sent it tumbling over the side of the deck. It hit the ground below with a resonating _thunk!_

Guy whirled around to assist Maria, but Paul had beaten him to the chase. Despite the struggle he had just gone through, he lifted Maria off the ground and carried her to the steps leading up to the cabin. "Thank you so much," she said to both her rescuers. "I couldn't move my leg," she explained sheepishly.

"Here, drink this," said Paul, hurriedly removing the cork in a vial of potion. Maria accepted it gratefully and took a swig.

"You hurt too," grunted Guy, pointing to the hideous lacerations all over Paul's hands from catching the falling beam.

"I'll be fine," Paul said, trying to look bold in front of Maria.

"Swallow your pride, nimrod!" Maria spat, thrusting the bottle into the thief's wounded hands. "You don't have to look tough in front of me!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHH!"

"What was that?" exclaimed Paul, coughing up the mouthful of potion he had just taken.

"Firion!" cried Guy, rushing off after the source of the shout.

When he was out of earshot, Maria turned to Paul. "I don't like a showoff," she said flatly. "But thank you for saving me," she added, making the thief grin from ear-to-ear.

"As I said, I never allow a beautiful lady to fall into peril," he said, striking a heroic pose.

Meanwhile, Guy was trying to extricate Firion from the wreckage at the bow. The foremast's crow's nest had broken free and trapped him beneath it. One of the strips of wood had impaled him between his breastplate and shoulder protector. "AAAARRGH!" he screamed again as Guy shoved the crow's nest aside.

"Ah… ah… aaaah!" Firion continued.

"Calm…" mumbled Guy, heaving aside the remaining few pieces of wood. He looked down and saw that his hands were covered in blood. The great warrior frantically stripped off his comrade's damaged armor and found that it had broken inward. Several fragments remained lodged in his chest. Suddenly, Firion's eyes snapped open, he shuddered, and fell still. "Nooooooo!" Guy bellowed skyward.

"What is it?" asked Maria, being supported by Paul until her leg healed properly.

"Firion! He's… he's…"

"Shh…" said Maria, placing a soothing hand on Guy's broad back. "So long as we get him to a sanctuary by sunset, he'll be all right. Come on, let's make a sledge for him."

* * *

"_Ceasus es mortis. Del sente el geo bius,_" intoned the priest in an ancient language. He waved a hand over Firion's prone form, and the incense flared brightly around the altar. "_Aster mortis fin, vert illuminus del bius!_"

The gathered party looked out the window. The bright orange sun was sinking past the black outline of the hills. Suddenly, it disappeared from view, and the horizon flashed green. It was a very brief sign, but it brought relief to the group.

Firion stirred, mumbling weakly, and opened his eyes. He rolled over stiffly on the alter and said, "How's it going?"

The rejoicing team paid the priest handsomely and left the sanctuary. "So what's it like being a zombie?" asked Paul.

"Paul!" exclaimed Maria, shocked by his rudeness.

Firion only laughed. "I wasn't completely dead," he explained. "There was no life in my body, true, but my soul hadn't reached the end of Jade, so I could come back."

"I'm glad you are," said Maria.

"Me too," grunted Guy.

"We should hit the inn for the evening; get a fresh start in the morning," Paul suggested.

"I agree," said Firion. "Maybe we should also stock up on good armor and weapons."

* * *

**Thank you very much for reading! It just wouldn't be Final Fantasy without bringing back fallen allies, now would it? Note that the priest was speaking a completely fictitious language, but it was based on Latin, with a little French and Spanish mixed in. Thanks again, and please review!**


	9. The Castle in the Sky

**The Castle in the Sky**

The group filed into the inn at Fynn. This time, though, the price was much higher than at the ruined Gatrea: 350 gil. Luckily, there was a white mage there who fixed up Paul's hands.

"Well, tomorrow, we attack the flying fortress of the Aleens," said Firion as they ate dinner.

"Wait a minute…" said Maria. "Has it even arrived yet?"

"That's a great point!" cried Paul. "What if it doesn't show up for another week?"

"I'll go check from the roof," Firion announced, leaving his mostly eaten meal and heading upstairs.

"Do you suppose the Aleens will be ready for our attack?" asked Maria.

"How will they be? They wouldn't expect an instantaneous assault right after they arrived," pointed out Paul.

"Yes," Guy agreed.

Suddenly, Firion rushed downstairs. His eyes were wide and his skin was pale. "It's here," he said, holding onto the balustrade for support.

"What does it look like?" inquired Maria eagerly.

"It's huge… huger than I expected," answered Firion, sitting down and trying to calm down. He breathed quickly and kept swallowing, but his throat was quite dry.

"Drink some water," suggested Guy.

Firion forewent the water and hailed a nearby waitress. "Excuse me, ma'am. One ale please." She nodded and hurried off to get his order. "I'm fine," he said, shaking his head. "It was just so… unnerving. A colossal pyramid of xanthic stone drifted out through the rift. It had a massive tower atop it, where two Aleens were perched. It was so wrong… seeing a building fly!"

"That's what people used to say about the airship before Cid started a shuttle service," Maria pointed out.

"Speaking of the airship, we'll need to land it on that thing, right?" said Paul.

"Yeah. We'll go back to it tomorrow," replied Firion.

"I suppose we should turn in, then," said Paul, rising from the table.

There were two beds to a room at the inn. Guy and Firion roomed together, Maria had her own room, and by default, Paul also received his own. Guy fell asleep immediately, followed quickly by Firion.

However, very early in the morning, before the sun rose, Firion awoke. He was quite irritated by the heavy snoring of his roommate. He was thirsty too, so he got up and headed for the door, stumbling over Guy's axe in the darkness.

Firion opened the door a crack and looked out. He had always been a little paranoid after the ordeal with the Empire. He was about to walk out when he heard a shuffling from down the hall. He peered out the narrow gap and watched as a figure emerged from around the corner.

Once Firion's eyes adjusted to the dim light in the corridor, he recognized the form as Paul. The thief was walking very carefully, so as not to make a sound on the creaky wood floor. He passed by his observer without noticing him and progressed out of view. He figured that Paul was also seeking to quench his thirst, but suddenly he heard a gentle click and a door open. It was the one to the left: Maria's.

Firion abruptly shut his door, his mind racing. He returned to bed, deciding that he could do without water for now. However, he did feel it necessary to speak with Maria in the morning.

* * *

"Maria, I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it, Firion?"

"I think you know."

"No really, I don't. Does it have something to do with the attack on the flying fortress? Don't worry, I've packed plenty of ether!"

"Look, I know you and Paul have become attracted to each other, and by no means do I want to control your social life, but I'm concerned this is affecting our mission."

"What makes you think it will?" Maria retorted, quite offended.

"Don't think I don't know about last night. Regardless, please just don't do anything stupid. I feel that I should look after you with Leon gone and…"

"Ohhh…" said Maria dramatically. "I get it now. You needn't worry; Paul and I have agreed about that. It would never work out, either. He's always roving around, and I wouldn't want that to stop for him." She began to walk away, but turned and said one last thing. "Oh, and by the way, about last night, we didn't. Paul was looking for water and I stepped out. That's when we discussed why it was futile to strive for each other's affections. Then, he went to get water, and I went into my room. That's it… no more, no less."

"Oh… wow… uh…" stammered Firion, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Well, thanks for clarifying, but I just feel so stupid now. Jeez… that was… um…"

Maria walked back over to the swordsman and said, "Thanks for being concerned, but I'm not a little girl. I can make decisions."

"I know. I'm sorry."

* * *

"Whoa!" exclaimed Paul. "So _that's _the floating castle!" Before the party was a giant fortress of yellowish stone, with a pyramidal base. It drifted over the sea and the forest, past Gatrea, and toward the grasslands.

"Let's get aboard the airship!" called Firion, who was all ready undoing the moorings.

* * *

An hour later, the airship was gaining ground on the castle, but flying low and near the mountains to avoid detection. "Hey, does it look like it's descending?" asked Paul, who was at the bow.

"Yes," replied Guy in his classic, one-word responses.

"Let's get down there so we can attack!" shouted Paul up to the aft, where Firion turned the wheel. The airship turned sharply away from the mountains. Suddenly, though, their gentle sinking toward the ground was sped up.

"What's going on?" cried Maria.

"I… don't… know!" grunted Firion, struggling to keep the vessel from crashing into the mountain. Abruptly, it plummeted toward the grassy plain below. "I can't… control… it!" he exclaimed. Finally, the wheel wrenched itself free of his grasp and spun wildly. The ship collided with the ground, sending its passengers flying in all directions.

"That was familiar," said Paul, getting to his feet.

"Did you see that Aleen in the tower?" asked Maria. "He was using magic to ground us!"

"Well, he did a good job of it," snarled Firion. "I can't get this thing to stop."

"He probably wanted to prevent us from entering through the upper levels," suggested Paul.

"Ya think?" said Firion sarcastically. He grabbed his sword from where it had slipped from its sheath and inspected it. Sure enough, the mythril blade was unmarred from the impact. "Let's go."

* * *

**Well, so much for romance, but they just weren't meant for each other, you know? Now I can focus on action as we move into the final few chapters. Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	10. Separated

_Disclaimer: I guess I should have said so at the beginning, but I'll do it now; I do not own Final Fantasy, etc., etc._

**Separated**

The four friends advanced cautiously through the stone tunnels of the flying castle. The passages were perfectly square, with a few magical lamps sparsely placed on the walls. They opened a few wooden doors, but none of them led to stairs.

"It's odd…" said Maria. "It's like they abandoned it…"

"Yeah…" Firion replied distractedly. He knew that there was something very wrong, so he scanned every facet of the corridors for danger. Suddenly, he found it, but not with his eyes. His foot abruptly sank into the stone floor. The swordsman looked down to see that he had stepped on a concealed switch.

Everyone stood completely still. "I wonder what that did…" Paul whispered.

All of a sudden, the floor under Firion angled downward, dropping him into the darkness below. "Firiooooon!" cried Maria, as a piece of floor under her angled in the other direction, and she disappeared.

Guy and Paul looked at each other. "This is bad," said Guy.

* * *

Firion opened his eyes. He was lying in a deep, dark pit, with standing water sloshing around at its bottom. He got to his feet and looked around the chamber, but could not find any exit. It was a rather large room, though.

Suddenly, a piece of wall to his right slid into the ceiling, and a large group of unpleasant guests shuffled in. "Zombies," muttered Firion, drawing his sword.

* * *

Maria was in a similar room, but it was lighter, with lanterns hanging at regular intervals from the ceiling. She rounded a corner and found that there was another chamber here, only it was vast and had a deep pool of green acid at its bottom. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of gold-colored bricks, and there was a precarious bridge spanning the gap to a round door on the other side.

Maria considered the bridge a moment, unsure of whether or not it was safe to cross. Suddenly, a pack of pit fiends made the decision for her. They raced up from behind, forcing her to dash across the narrow, unsupported bridge.

* * *

Above, Paul and Guy decided to keep going and look for stairs descending into the basement. Unfortunately, after only a few minutes, they encountered a gang of hecteyes. The conical, blue monsters approached menacingly, their scores of eyeballs twitching and roving around in countless directions.

"I'll get them," growled Guy, hefting his axe.

Paul drew his own weapon a little less eagerly. "Here goes…" he said, preparing to meet the incoming wave of enemies.

* * *

Firion slashed left and right, slaying zombie after zombie. However, each time he struck one down, it merely rose again, sans an arm or a chunk of its rotten flesh. He retreated back into the dank pit a little as the swarm of undead advanced, claws outstretched.

The swordsman dodged a lunge by one of the creatures, stabbing it in the head as it toppled onto the cold brick floor. "_Why won't you die_?" he seethed, watching the foe struggle back to its feet. He lopped off both arms and kicked it in the chest, blasting apart its ribcage and sending it reeling into its fellows, who continued their lumbering approach.

"Yeeeeaaaarrrg!" Firion bellowed, stabbing at the advancing mob. Brown blood sprayed from the undead warriors as they were repeatedly punctured by the mythril blade, but they paid no mind to this; they kept on marching.

Suddenly, one of the zombies rushed at Firion, grabbed him around the shoulders, and attempted to bite his neck. The fiend's hooked claws dug into his skin. "Get off of me!" he bellowed, slashing madly with his sword. However, they evil being refused to let go, even after its legs were severed and its long-still heart lacerated with wounds.

* * *

Maria looked over her shoulder and saw the charging warg pack bound onto the stone bridge. They were frenzied, with wide eyes and their long tongues lolling from the sides of their mouths. She knocked an arrow to her bow, but before she could fire, the bridge collapsed. Large pieces fell away into the acid below, making it hiss furiously.

One by one, the wargs were plunged into the searing pool. Maria, on the other hand, managed to leap away as the last section of the ancient bridge broke free. She landed on the opposite platform, but the largest of the wargs also performed this feat, flying up behind her.

Maria sensed her peril and whirled around, knocking an arrow to her bow. The giant wolf soared at her, its fangs barred and its claws outstretched. She let go, and the arrow shot forth to find itself buried in the beast's chest. It stuck the side of the ledge, slipped off, and fell into the acid.

Seeing that there were no more enemies, Maria turned and walked out the door to a meandering staircase…

* * *

"What's up with these things?" cried Paul, hacking at a hecteyes with his sword. "They don't seem to be resisting!"

Suddenly, the monster turned all of its eyes on the thief and blasted him with a concentrated beam. He fell back, dropping his weapon. Guy saw this and immediately rushed over, swinging his axe down upon the menace.

"Don't let them do that," Guy advised, slaying another one.

Shortly, the magic-using blobs were all killed, but more foes were on their way. "Pit fiends!" Paul shouted as six small, gray-skinned demons with long, sharp fangs and leathery wings rocketed down the hallway, waving spears or tridents in their hands.

Guy made his counterattack, charging forward to intercept the flying creatures. They didn't expect this, and were quickly disoriented and disbanded. This allowed Paul to hurry up behind and stab or slice them out of the air. Pit fiends spiraled around him as he lashed out with his blade. Eventually, they were all downed.

"Let's go," grunted Guy, walking down the hallway…

* * *

"Argh!" Firion screamed as a zombie threw itself on him and bit his shoulder, under the armor. He fell to the ground and rolled, sending the monster crashing into a wall nearby. He got to his feet, but remained kneeling, slashing the creatures' legs as they surrounded him.

Once every zombie was legless, Firion leapt up and backed away. They continued to advance, however. The sight of the gory warriors crawling toward him, their eyes blazing with fury, was thoroughly unsettling.

"Okay! Take _this_!" the swordsman yelled, preparing a spell. He only knew a couple of them, and was not nearly as skilled as Maria, but he did know what to do now. After a few quick gestures, he raised his arms skyward and called, "_Holy!_"

Promptly, rays of white light pierced through the stone ceiling, blinding Firion. He covered his eyes until the bright glimmering faded away. When he removed his forearm from his face, he was pleased to see that all of the zombies' flesh had been burned away by the pure light, and they were now only piles of dusty bones. Satisfied, Firion picked his way through the skeletons and exited through the large opening they had opened, rushing up a spiral staircase…

* * *

**Thanks for reading! For this chapter, I decided to make the Holy spell from Final Fantasy II more like the Dia spell from the original Final Fantasy. Check back soon to see how the party reunites and conquers the Aleens!**


	11. Magical Menace

Magical Menace

Paul and Guy wandered down the long corridor, keeping an eye out for any more attackers. They neared a set of doors; one was set into the walls opposite each other. Suddenly, both were flung open. The warriors instinctively drew their weapons, but saw that it was Firion and Maria who walked out and sheathed them.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" exclaimed Paul.

"Yeah… me too," Firion replied, flicking a piece of zombie flesh off his shoulder plate. "We should keep going," he added, starting off down the hall once again.

Shortly, the party reached an area that was shaped like an octagon. The room was vast and deep, going down many meters to a grassy basin. There was a ledge occupying each end of the pit.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" said Guy. Suddenly, a plume of violet smoke arose across the gap. Out of the cloud stepped a strange fellow in a long black robe. He had a withered, contorted face and long, bony fingers that were making a series of complicated motions.

"It's a wizard!" cried Maria, but before the group could react, a great blast shot from the magic-user's hands and struck the wall behind them. Firion, Guy, and Paul were flung off the ledge by the force of the explosion, and hit the glen below amidst smoldering bits of golden brick.

"Are you all right?" Maria called down to her companions, who muttered their affirmatives. "Look out!" she yelled abruptly, as the wizard summoned six large skulldiers. The fiends cackled and advanced, their swords and shields gleaming in the artificial light.

Firion was immediately on his feet, hacking at the nearest foe. The skeletal soldier shrieked madly and swung its scimitar downward, but it was deflected by Firion's skill and amazing mythril blade. The cruder weapon cracked and fragmented, much to the shock of its wielder. Firion didn't hesitate to finish the monster off.

While the others fought the wizard's conjurations, Maria engaged in a battle of magic. She first hurled a series of fireballs, which were promptly sent back at her. After dodging these, she created a powerful ice storm, which pelted the wizard with hail.

However, the enemy magician was not ready to give up. With immense effort, he summoned the Ahriman, a one-eyed, flying beast. It screamed and soared at Maria, but she was ready with her bow. She fired three arrows at once, all of which lodged in the foe's giant eyeball. The agonized demon vanished back to where it had been summoned from abruptly, leaving the drained wizard open to be attacked.

Maria realized what she had to do. She quickly cast a potent _Silence_, which wrapped around the wizard and prevented him from using magic—for now. She promptly shot a series of arrows across the gorge, all of which stabbed into the silenced magic-user. He dropped to his knees, blood pouring from his wounds and his mouth, and exploded in a puff of purple smoke.

Then, Maria turned her attention to the battle below. The skulldiers were gaining the upper hand, overwhelming Firion with their numbers and strength. The wizard had done a good job in their animation. Also, it appeared that Paul was hurt badly, for he was lying dazed on the ground, being protected by Guy.

With one final cast, Maria put _Haste _over her friends. Sparks danced around their bodies, giving them a peculiar glow. Firion recognized what was happening to him, and he launched himself into a flurry of attacks, getting in six times as many as his opponents. Guy benefited greatly as well, suddenly becoming capable of swinging his large battleaxe more quickly and effectively.

In a matter of moments, the skulldiers were decimated, the party had given Paul a potion, and they had clambered up to the other ledge. Firion put his hand on the doorknob, but paused. "You know, this could be it. The Aleens might be in there." He looked up at his fellows with resolve in his eyes. "Are you all sure you want to do this?"

"Firion," said Maria.

"Yes?"

"Open the damn door."

**Thank you very much for reading! I appreciate the reviews I have gotten so far, but still, if you would just take the time to submit feedback, it would be great. Thanks!**


	12. The Spike Labyrinth

**The Spike Labyrinth**

"Okay… here goes…" sighed Firion, turning the knob. The heavy wood door swung inward, revealing a passage up into the higher levels.

"So much for the final chamber," muttered Maria, walking past Firion and up the stairs. Paul followed.

"Well, it was a possibility," said Firion to Guy.

"I know," said the warrior with a shrug.

The next area was very dark. Suddenly, though, torches lining the entire chamber burst into flame, illuminating a vast sea of metal spines. "Look, there's a way through!" declared Paul, pointing at the opening to a daunting network of paths through the razor-sharp maze.

"Oh, great. The Aleens sure do have a sick sense of humor," grumbled Firion, stepping between the first few rows of barbs.

"It's no worse than the winding corridors of Mysidia," Maria commented, following boldly.

"Worse," retorted Guy, noting the narrowness of the tunnels. Finally, he deemed the way broad enough for his bulk and passed cautiously inside. Paul realized that he would now have to bring up the rear, and he hurriedly drew his sword. Bad things tended to happen to those in back.

"Let's take the left branch," said Firion when they came to a fork. Here, dried blood was spattered on the spears.

"Who would be dumb enough to walk straight into a wall of spikes?" scoffed Maria.

"Someone running…" replied Firion.

"Running from what?" called Paul from behind.

"You okay back there?" Maria hailed into the darkness, trying to see past Guy.

"Just ducky, m'lady!" the thief responded, peeping his head over the giant man's left shoulder. "But it's a little dark."

"The torches don't penetrate this deep into the labyrinth," noted Firion. "Hey, everyone put a hand on the back of the person in front of you! Walk slowly!" With that, they resumed their silent march.

The corridors of the labyrinth were long and meandering, and many times, they met a dead end. On such occasions, everyone would have to turn in place, and Paul would have to lead them back out into an intersection.

It was a good thing both Firion and Paul were carrying swords. They probed ahead with these so as not to lead the party into a wall of spines. Thus, the going was agonizingly slow, but eventually, they reached an open space.

"Do you hear that?" whispered Maria. She peered over Firion's armored shoulder into the ring of spiked walls before them. It was almost pitch black here, but it was apparent that this chamber was indeed circular, and that there was a huge object at its center.

"It sounds like… wind?" said Paul.

"No…" replied Guy. "Breathing."

Suddenly, the centerpiece of the round room reared up, growing exponentially in size. Atop it, two long, curved crescents became visible. From behind it, a long, thick tail uncurled and voluminous wings spread wide. "Dragon. Figures," grunted Firion. He held his blade in front of him defensively, and motioned back for the others to remain quiet.

"Wait," whispered Maria, putting a hand on the swordsman's shoulder. "Let me handle this." With that, she drew her bow from the straps on her back and knocked a slender arrow.

"Are you sure you can hit it in the dark?" Firion asked, still wanting to charge.

"This is Yoichi's bow," she explained. "It is the most powerful ranged weapon in the world, which I located in the depths of the Jade Passage. Plus, I'm not a bad shot myself." She turned and released the arrow. It sailed forth and lodged in the dragon's head, right between its eyes.

Instead of crying out in pain and keeling over, the gigantic beast roared in defiance and stormed at the party that had assailed it. "Maybe I should have put a little magic into that shot," mumbled Maria.

"Come on!" bellowed Firion, grabbing her wrist and shoving Guy down the passage into the maze.

"Surely it can't follow us into these narrow corridors," cried Paul.

"It doesn't need to," observed Guy, pointing upward. The dragon had launched itself into the air and was flying overhead, breathing down searing green flames. In the torchlight that prevailed higher up, it was apparent that the beast's skin was deep crimson.

"A red dragon; what does that mean?" asked Firion.

"It absorbs fire!" replied Maria, stumbling over a chunk of rock.

"Weak to ice," added Guy, watching the dragon circle and rain down its flaming breath.

"It's too high up for me to cast _blizzard_," Maria remarked.

"You've spent your magic too much all ready," Firion pointed out. "Why don't you let one of us solve this one." He looked up once more, and deduced that their only option was to flee.

And flee they did. The party raced as fast as they safely could back through the network of spike-lined tunnels. Firion squeezed past Maria and vaulted over Guy's shoulders. "Thanks, old friend," he said as he sailed over the hulking warrior. "Excuse me," he said, gently shoving past Paul.

"Hey!"

"It's okay, I have a plan. Follow me!" With that, Firion slipped into a dark branch to the left and continued making left turns for a few minutes.

"What's he doing?" asked Paul.

"He's headed back toward the ring of spikes!" Maria called back, having figured out their directive.

Above, the dragon seemed to be loosing them. It circled, peering into the shadows far below. However, the lack of light benefited the humans, as they could easily slip back into the circular epicenter of the labyrinth. Then, they worked their way—a little less frantically—to a wide-open space, up a flight of broad steps, to the door out.

At the top, Firion stopped and looked back at the vast maze they had just left from. Now he could clearly see the top of it, and an extremely simplistic route through. "Come on!" called Paul, snapping him out of his transfixion. The dragon had seen them leave and was now hurtling at them, it's fang-lined maw open wide.

"The door's locked!" exclaimed Paul. "I'll have to pick it!" He set about doing this—which was, incidentally, second nature for a seasoned thief such as him.

"No time!" bellowed Guy, charging up with his battleaxe ready to swing. Paul barely dodged the hefty blade as it crashed down, snapping the lock in two.

"Let's go!" yelled Maria, leading the group into the chamber beyond. Firion leapt inside last and slammed the heavy metal door shut not a moment too soon, for seconds after it sealed, there was a tremendous _clang_ as the Red Dragon slammed headfirst into it.

"Well done… well done…" came a sinister voice from the shadows behind the team. They whirled around to see that they were in a large, well-lit chamber with strange markings on the curvaceous walls. On the opposite wall, which was imbedded with countless twinkling diamonds, was a throne that was pale blue, like the walls, floor, and high, vaulted ceiling. In it sat a large man with a gold crown. He was garbed in a flowing red robe. His skin was covered in violet, almost black, fuzz. However, the most striking features were his eyes. They were huge, globular, and black. "My subjects and I have been expecting you…" he said, as sixteen hulking Aleen warriors, male and female, stepped forth from doorways hidden behind the throne.

**Thank you very much for reading, and please review! I'd like to know what you think of this story so far, or ideas for if I write another Final Fantasy Fanfic. Check back soon for updates! One chapter to go!**


	13. Exit the King

**Exit the King**

The Aleen soldiers screeched an unearthly battlecry as they rushed at the group of humans. "Hraaaah!" Firion bellowed as well, catching the first warrior under the chin with a mighty uppercut. The foe fell aside, bleeding profusely and clutching its throat.

Guy stormed forth, headed for the king. He swung his axe left and right, slaying four of the extraterrestrials. Maria fired three arrows at the monarch, which he waved aside with a flick of his hand. They embedded themselves in a rather quizzical tapestry nearby.

For his part, Paul valiantly dueled with enemy after enemy. They all carried blades crudely carved of some strange, otherworldly crystal, but the thief's agility and dexterity carried him through wave after wave.

Finally, after one and a half dozen Aleens were killed the small band, their king called them off. "I underestimated you. You are the better warriors. Well, then… come up here and kill me!"

The party hesitated, but finally decided they might as well give it a shot. All four charged, but from different directions, in case there was a hidden trap. Suddenly, the malevolent ruler leaped off the throne. He hit the floor lightly, and waved his arms thrice in the air as a child does who is pretending to be a bird in flight. There was a great white flash, and the party felt the ground disappear under them…

Firion hit the ground roughly. He looked at the walls to see that they were covered in snow. Beside him, he saw Maria and Guy, but Paul was nowhere to be found. "Look out!" called an oddly familiar voice from beside the swordsman. He looked up to see the towering figure of Josef bound past and punch a stout, overdressed soldier in the face. He careened back and landed on the ground.

Something was wrong. First off, Josef was long dead. Second, the soldier was not an Aleen. Peering at him again, Firion was shocked to see that it was none other than General Borghen. Firion leapt up and charged the downed man, who kicked him powerfully in the chest.

Maria and Guy were on their feet as well, and they joined the assault. Maria fired several arrows at the imperial general, only to realize that this bow was not right. It was not the sleek, beautiful weapon of Yoichi. This one was a bulky, simple longbow. Guy also noticed something peculiar. His axe was a lot cruder than he remembered.

Firion had the biggest difference though. His weapon was very old, covered in ancient writings. As he, Guy, and Josef renewed their assault on Borghen, he remembered something intriguing about this blade. He made a quick gesture, raised it high, and released the curse from it.

A thick green fog roiled from the sword's blade, drifted over to Borghen, and enveloped him. He caught fire and dashed for the pool of frigid water down the corridor. Before he could, though, Guy swung his axe and struck him in the stomach. The whole Snow Cavern flashed brilliantly…

Once again, Firion came to in a strange place. He was standing on something red and squishy. Ahead was Leila's ship, but it was inside. A pool of violet acid sat behind him, and the whole area was ringed with… yes! Teeth!

Maria, Guy, and Ricard raced up to join him. Firion recognized the dragoon and deduced that they had been transported back to when they were swallowed by the Leviathan. It seemed that the Aleens were masters of time travel.

From within the pool of acid, a mighty blue creature rocketed forth: the Roundworm! It screeched and howled as it twisted around a row of fangs, trying to get a better angle to attack from. Suddenly, it leaped at Firion and Maria.

However, Ricard dove in the way, and slashed a chunk of the worm's flesh off. The foe writhed in pain, swinging its tail madly. Maria dropped to the ground as the mass of worm sailed by, but Firion took it right in the ribs. He was sent flying into the squishy side of the Leviathan's mouth. His sword, which was once again different, fell aside and splashed into a smaller puddle of acid. He quickly snatched the Gaia Blade from the smoldering pit and dashed forward to assist the overwhelmed Guy.

With a mighty leap, Firion made it back into the fray. He distracted the Roundworm by slashing at it from the side. It turned to attack him, giving Ricard the perfect opportunity to bound onto its back.

The dragoon shimmied up the slimy length of the worm as it raced around the Leviathan's mouth, trying to shake him free. Finally, he made it to the head, raised his sword high, and plunged it into the beast's brain.

There was a bright flash, and the group—this time with Ricard in tow. They arrived in Castle Palemacia, where Leon sat on the Emperor's throne. "Brother!" cried Maria.

"Feh. Little sister, why do you put in with these fools?" he asked. His voice did not sound right though. He was under a potent enchantment, as the group from the future all ready knew.

"Don't do this!" Maria pleaded.

"The weak cannot survive without the strong to control them!" replied Leon.

Suddenly, the Emperor, true to past events, arose from the afterlife and explained to Leon that he had been toying with him all along, watching his rise to power only so he could claim it once more for himself.

Leon leapt down and took off with the party. The Emperor turned on them, ready to strike, but Ricard doubled back and launched himself onto the ruler. "Foolish rebel!" laughed the Emperor as he drew his sword and ran it through Ricard's heart.

Flash!

The Emperor now stood before the group at his full power, only instead of with the redeemed Leon, Paul was back. They were in Pandemonium, but the Emperor was not quite normal. It was a gigantic version of the Aleen King!

"If you think your mind games can rile us, think again!" spat Firion.

"Ah, so bold, yet so foolish!" roared the King, firing several balls of blue fire at his much smaller human adversaries. Guy swatted one of these with his axe—now in its usual glory—sending it flying back up and into the King's stomach. He fell forward, and Firion and Paul raced up to hack at his head. However, he seemed to have enchanted skin that was like armor.

Suddenly, the King rose and shrugged off Firion. Paul hung on, though, swinging wildly. His sword was lodged in the Aleen's shoulder. Below, Maria fired an arrow, which flew straight into the King's head. It disintegrated, but revealed a magical third eye. Unlike the other eyes, this one was almond-shaped and a furious yellow.

The King bellowed in rage and launched another ball of enchanted flame at Maria. She had been knocking another arrow to shoot the eye, so she didn't have time to dodge. Thus, she took the full force of the orb and was flung onto her back. There was a huge black scorch mark where she lay.

"Get the eye!" called Firion from the ground, where he and Guy were having at the monarch's legs.

Paul nodded and, with a surge of will to avenge Maria, heaved himself up. He straddled the King's neck, leaned over, and rammed his blade into his magic third eye. The extraterrestrial ruler screamed and shrank down to normal size.

It was on. Guy whirled around, cracking off the Aleen's breastplate with one blow of his mighty axe. Then, Firion rushed forth and slashed at his exposed chest. The King retaliated with a parry, but it was evident that he was worn out.

The two dueled fiercely, but finally Firion knocked the Aleen's blade aside and plunged his own into the fiend's heart. Black blood dribbled in vast quantities from the tyrant's agape mouth. He staggered back, scrabbling at the wound. It seemed as if the pure mythril was burning him! Smoke roiled from the hole in his breast.

_Of course! _Firion realized. _Mythril is from the depths of the Earth. The Aleens are not from Earth, so in its purest form, it vaporizes them!_

Sure enough, the King crumbled like a stale cookie. First his arms went, followed by his legs. When his hips hit the floor, his whole body melted into a smoldering pile. Finally, his face sank into the mass, but the crown, unmarred, rested atop it.

Firion reached down and plucked the artifact from the ashes. "A little flashy for me," he commented. "What do you think, Guy?" he asked, holding out the circlet.

"Wouldn't be caught dead in it," replied the warrior, and then they both laughed uproariously, relieved that the whole ordeal was now over.

"Maria!" cried Paul, rushing toward the fallen archer. He knelt beside her, trying to determine if she was still alive. Suddenly, her prone form shifted, and she lifted a trembling hand. There, blackened and pitted, on her slender finger, was the Power Ring Paul had given her so long ago. It had absorbed most of the magical attack.

Maria's eyes opened, and she looked up at the thief. With a smile, she said, "Your present saved my life."

Paul smiled too. They stayed that way for a moment, their eyes locked on each other's. Paul suddenly realized how close they were now. He hesitated, but Maria didn't. She rose slightly, although she was somewhat sore from the blast, and placed her hand on the nape of the thief's neck. He grasped her shoulders gently, and leaned forward. Their lips met softly, but meaningfully. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and neither wanted to spoil it.

Paul turned his head slightly, and the kiss was about to deepen. Suddenly, though, Maria pulled away. She stared up at Paul, and he couldn't help but be captivated by the beauty of those gray eyes.

"Time to go!" called Firion cheerily. He normally wasn't this joyous, but it was a special occasion. It wasn't every day you saved the world. "Drinks are on me when we get to Altair!"

"Coming!" replied Paul, and in one swift movement, lifted Maria from the floor and carried her in both arms. "My dear," he said to her in his false 'noble knight' voice, "you are as light as a feather!"

Maria only giggled.

* * *

When the party arrived back in Altair, they told everyone of their exploits. Firion did not have to pay, actually, as all of the townsfolk insisted on buying him and his partners a round of drinks. By the late evening, they were very happy and very buzzed. Guy, of course, downed mead like an elephant drinks water, with no sign of it affecting him.

In the corner, away from the riotous discussions and laughter, Maria and Paul had a serious discussion. "You see, I know that you like to roam. I'd like to settle down in one place," said the archer. "I don't want to force you into one place like that."

"But, Maria, I don't care where I am, so long as you are there as well."

"You really mean that?" Maria asked, her heart soaring.

"From the bottom of my heart."

Overjoyed, Maria scooted her seat around to get closer to Paul. He put an arm around her shoulder, and she leaned her head against his chest. To the thief, her long, violet hair glistened like never before. They fell asleep this way, both absolutely blissful.

Back at the noisy part of the pub, many of the village's men were urging Firion to show them his sword.

"No, no…" said the warrior. "I can't do that…"

"And why not?" boomed a voice from the doorway. All eyes went to the man in black armor who had stridden inside, a rucksack slung over his shoulder and a large blade sheathed at his side. "We deserve to see the weapon that saved the world from an invading army."

"It's good to see you're back, Leon," said Firion, returning to the conversation at hand.

"Look, Firion, I hope you don't harbor any ill will toward me. I was an idiot before… but I've changed!" It was obvious, too. This was not the brooding introvert who had once served the Empire. This was more or less the man the party had met in the future, only younger and beardless.

"So, let's have a look at that blade!" urged Leon.

"All right… here it is," said Firion, building up the audience's excitement. He abruptly drew the mythril sword from its sheath and set it before the awed crowd's eyes.

"Marvelous craftsmanship!" said the blacksmith.

"What a weapon!" commented the cobbler.

"Ah, yes, a fine blade," said Leon, grabbing his own. "But none can compare to mine!" he declared, placing his sword beside Firion's on the wooden table. To the townsfolk's amazement and confusion, the two blades were exactly the same, down to the length, width, and shine. Of course, this was because they were the same sword.

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! I really hope you liked the story. I wasn't sure how some of the parts would turn out, such as the story line with the Aleens, the way certain characters spoke or acted, or the Paul/Maria stuff. Anyway, please review!**

**—The Hutt**


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